Couple searching for stolen golf cart

Published: Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 05:01 PM.

“When he brought that thing home, I was just so excited to have a golf cart,” Helen Schierbaum said. “He was so proud of fixing it up for me… everyone that saw it stopped and commented.”

Medically and financially, the last few years have been difficult for the Schierbaums, and the couple has had to pawn Dennis’s wedding ring and sell his truck to try and make ends meet.

Prior to being diagnosed with cancer, Helen was the victim of a car accident that left her with nerve damage.

“It’s just been a tough four years,” she said. “After the car accident and all the surgeries, I got through all that physically, and then I got the cancer and have been dealing with that for the past year.”

Years of manual labor have also left Dennis in need of knee replacement surgery, which will just add to their more than $100,000 in medical bills.

“It’s just one thing after another, you know,” Dennis Schierbaum said. “I just do whatever I can … somehow we always manage to survive.”

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Helen Schierbaum’s purple golf cart was more than just a golf cart.

It was her freedom after a fight against cancer that led to difficulty walking.

When she learned it was stolen from her “golf cart friendly” Laguna Beach neighborhood last week, Schierbaum was heartbroken, and is asking for the community’s help in locating it.

“In the little time I had it I could ride around and meet people, but now I just sit at home,” she said. “It just really bothered me. I was really looking forward to riding it this summer.”

Shierbaum’s husband, Dennis, bought the then rundown golf cart back in October and fixed it up for her, painting it her favorite color and adding lights and accessories.

“I fixed it all up and made it look real nice so when the summer came, she could have a nice ride out to the beach,” said Dennis Schierbaum, who noted he was surprised when it vanished from their home on Laureno Street. “Golf carts are all over the place here. We’re right on Back Beach (Road) and we’ve never had any problems.”

Although Dennis didn’t have the money for the $1,500 vehicle, a neighbor he works odd jobs for offered him a personal loan so he could buy the cart for Helen.

“When he brought that thing home, I was just so excited to have a golf cart,” Helen Schierbaum said. “He was so proud of fixing it up for me… everyone that saw it stopped and commented.”

Medically and financially, the last few years have been difficult for the Schierbaums, and the couple has had to pawn Dennis’s wedding ring and sell his truck to try and make ends meet.

Prior to being diagnosed with cancer, Helen was the victim of a car accident that left her with nerve damage.

“It’s just been a tough four years,” she said. “After the car accident and all the surgeries, I got through all that physically, and then I got the cancer and have been dealing with that for the past year.”

Years of manual labor have also left Dennis in need of knee replacement surgery, which will just add to their more than $100,000 in medical bills.

“It’s just one thing after another, you know,” Dennis Schierbaum said. “I just do whatever I can … somehow we always manage to survive.”

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